Gallia
The religious kingdom of Gallia is a unified region that rivals Allemagne, its neighbor directly to the east. Gallia is highly feudal and relies on a strict hierarchy of king-duke-earl-baron. There are fourteen dukedoms that make up Gallia, one of which belongs to King Leon and the rest belonging to grand dukes. Gallia has been effectively unified for two hundred years, ever since the the Eccles settled there and assisted Leon in subjugating his unruly subjects. Name History Two hundred years ago, Gallia was a loose collection of feudal states that were subject to King Leon in name only. The fire and passion of the Gallian people manifested in potent independence movements that made centralization impossible. While Allemagne devised and implemented administrative reforms, Leon watched in despair. He knew that action would need to be taken soon if Gallia was to stand strong against their expansionistic neighbors. Meanwhile in Uthman, the angelic city of Ecclessia was taken by surprise when the confederated orc tribes bypassed their defenses and assaulted the city. The angels fled to the west and petitioned every country to assist them in retaking their home. Seeing an opportunity, Leon immediately pledged that he would devote the full resources of Gallia to the Ecclessian Crusade. After much debate, he was able to convince his rebellious dukes to join in the quest for glory. The ensuing crusade was met with early success, but ultimately Ecclessia remained firmly in orc hands. The angels were forced to reevaluate their position and prepare for a much longer stay away from their home. Leon was eager to offer a home for the displaced angels. Thus began the realignment of Gallia as a unified religious monarchy. While Gallia had been generally secular before the arrival of the Eccles, the combined efforts of Leon and the angels were too much for the individual dukedoms to resist. One by one, the provinces fell firmly in line behind their king and his angels. The divinity of the king was established when the Eccles blessed him and his family with unnaturally long lives. Leon was nearly forty when the angels arrived, but looks no older than sixty today. As the provinces became more and more spiritual, their entire identities shifted away from the dukes and towards the queen and princesses. The thirteen provinces were each assigned a patron princess that served as a paragon of virtue. In time, the personalities of the princesses and the identity of the provinces melded together to create an effective system of representatives. Today, the provinces aren't even referred to by their old names, but rather by the name of their patron princess. For the sake of conformity and to prove his own dedication before all others, Leon was the first to refer to his own capital province as Marie (the name of his wife, the queen), rather than Lumina, the old name. Current State Gallia is in a position of great influence, similar to Allemagne. While Allemagne is more focused on annexation and slow expansion southwards and eastwards, Gallia has established itself as the foremost authority for all who serve the Eccles. Many eastern regions submit to the will of Gallia and allow permanent Gallian patrols within their borders. Gallia also has direct control over much of Uthman and the surrounding areas, with large garrisons holding the land, ostensibly to prevent orc reconquest. There is a tentative goal to retake Ecclessia, but several obstacles stand in the way. Firstly, the orcs have managed to activate the defenses that failed the angels during the surprise attack. It will be a very long time before the Eccles are able to develop a weapon capable of penetrating them. Efforts thus far have been promising, but there are no concrete results yet. Secondly, King Leon is concerned about what will happen to Gallia if the city is retaken. If the angels all leave, then the legitimacy of his crown may be negatively affected. If the angels decide that they no longer need Gallia, then they may even unite other realms against Gallia or sow dissent within the dukedoms and break up the kingdom. Thirdly, the end of the crusades against the orcs will eliminate the main justification for Gallian power projection beyond its own borders. Prestige, intelligence, political capital, and trade would all be greatly diminished without the Gallian network. Government Gallia has thirteen arch-dukes united under a single king. Of the fourteen provinces, thirteen belong to the arch-dukes and one belongs to the king, who is technically also a titled arch-duke. Each province is administrated autonomously, though institutions are nearly identical across all fourteen provinces due to the overwhelming Eccles presence and influence. Each province is taxed a manpower and gold levy each year, though the king can ultimately decide whether to accept or decline each offering. For example, in times of peace, the manpower levy is not necessary, yet the ritualized offering and declining process is almost always honored. Similarly, kings have been known to refuse the substantial gold levy if the province in question has been suffering financially. In these cases, the process reminds all involved of the willingness of the provinces to serve the Eccles even when it is inconvenient. Provinces Marie "Let's find the way forward." The capital of Gallia and the political and diplomatic core of the kingdom. Just as all disputes between sisters can be resolved with the counsel of mother Marie, all matters of state are handled at the extensive administrative and ambassadorial institutions of Marie. The transition from Lumina to Marie was painless and short because the queen was beloved in the region. A regal woman that spent her entire life in the center of Gallian politics, Marie was Antoinette "A good sword can show how lucky you are, but a good set of armor will show how skilled you are." As one of the younger daughters, Antoinette always looked up to Genevieve and sought to emulate her. When Genevieve became the patron of architecture, Antoinette was thrilled that she was to become the somewhat similar patron of smithing. While Genevieve quickly acclimated to her new role, Antoinette was much slower to find her footing among the smiths. To her, their weapons of war were much less interesting than jewelry and trinkets that wouldn't be used to kill. At the time, the province of Antoinette shunned the idea of making anything other than the highest quality weapons for knights. Nobles were more interested in importing foreign jewelry anyway and knights needed leather and other lightweight armor if they wanted to be flexible enough to maneuver against the much larger orcs. Over the first few decades of her rule, Antoinette was almost a mark of shame for the province. She was rarely seen and didn't seem to exemplify any of the traits that defined the province. In truth, she was deeply and intently studying smithing, a necessary step for the road ahead. After forty years, Antoinette emerged from her seclusion and challenged the greatest smiths of the province to a competition. If any could forge a weapon that could penetrate her armor, she would step down as patron. Many did not take the contest seriously and few answered her summons. Those that did arrive were given a week to forge their submission. For fairness, she was given the same amount of time to craft her armor. Those that watched her work were stunned to see the precision and technique that she applied to her work. None had thought her capable of actual blacksmithing, but she completed an entire suit of plate armor in less than three days, whereas none of the competitors took less than six. The armor was apparently seamless, without a single opening or point of weakness in sight. When it came to test the armor and weapons, Antoinette shocked the audience by donning the armor and ordering the closest smith to test his weapon. The first strike was tentative and light. The second was harder still. After a minute of increasingly powerful blows, the smith spent another five slashing, cutting, stabbing, and otherwise trying to penetrate the armor with all his strength from every possible angle. He was unsuccessful. In sequence, every smith attempted to break the armor, but none succeeded. The most that they accomplished was making her stagger to and fro. Given the shocking amounts of force that were hitting her, it's a miracle that she managed to stay on her feet at all. When the last smith was exhausted, she slid the helmet off and revealed a bruised and battered face plastered with a taunting grin. The smiths were immediately taken aback and concerned at the possibility that they had harmed their patron princess. She laughed at them and took the armor off, the first stage of her plan complete. She then told her story. The angels were too vainglorious to consider such techniques and the traditions of the Gallian smiths completely ignored the field of armorsmithing. It was only through the journals of travelers that she found her way to lost dwarven smithing techniques. For a decade, she had traveled east, searching for dwarves that held the knowledge she sought. She finally found it among the Karpatir clans: seamless armor that offered unparalleled flexibility and protection. When the smiths asked her how she managed to master the secrets of the Karpatir in such a short amount of time, she laughed at them and revealed her secret. Her journey had started and ended in the first decade of her patronship. She had spent the last thirty years training with the Karpatir smith that she brought back to Gallia, perfecting not only the armor, but also the speed at which she could finish it. According to the smith, Adzk, she accomplished in three decades what most dwarves could not manage in three centuries. At that point, Adzk emerged from the shadows and introduced himself. Over the next week, Adzk taught this small group of smiths the basic philosophical tenets of his craft. These smiths then departed and spread the miraculous tale of Antoinette, Femme de Fer. After a month of preparation, Antoinette issued a new challenge. Every smith was to make their finest weapon and bring it to the tournament grounds in the capital of the province in one week. After the spread of the story, every single smith of note arrived, all with the finest weapons that they could make. To silence any accusations of cheating, Antoinette set up her sizable smithing station and worked in the middle of the arena to craft her armor. As she worked, observers noted that the armor was far too wide and short for the princess. When the day finally arrived, Adzk revealed himself and donned the armor. Antoinette wasn't quite ready to withstand the blows of a thousand smiths, but Adzk certainly was. He laughed at the contenders as they beat on him, two or three at a time. None succeeded and any accusations that the dwarf was cheating were met with immediate rebuttals by those that had watched the entire crafting process, enthralled by their petite patron's smithing. One by one, the smiths admitted defeat and began to envision the possibilities of this new art of armorsmithing. Satisfied with her ultimate victory, Antoinette finally found herself as one with her province. Whereas Antoinette once dealt only in how to kill, it now thrived on providing the knights of Gallia with nigh-invulnerability. Weapons are still a critical product of the region, but the armor industry has grown to rival it completely. Many knights have even found themselves drawn to a philosophy born of Femme de Fer. In short, weapons show your luck, armor shows your skill. Camille "Ecstasy lies in lifelong service." Noble servants, butlers and maids of high quality, service for God, BDSM angle, harem Elaine "I'd rather be on a boat." Shipwrights, boat racing, fishing, got lost at sea maybe Elise "Comfortable, but oh so ugly." Among the thirteen daughters, Elise was always the most interested in fashion. As such, she rapidly acclimated to her role as the patron princess of the cultural capital of Gallia. While other provinces may claim that they possess the elements that define Gallian culture, it is Elise that gathers, studies, organizes, and displays them for the world to see. Elisian curators scour the other provinces for artifacts, scholars laboriously analyze and interpret the writings of Gallian authors, and designers try to implement past historical trends into modern elements of fashion. Articles of clothing and pieces of furniture are painstakingly engineered to preserve elements of Gallian culture that have been largely forgotten. Minor family crests are incorporated into patterns, modern materials are manipulated to look like more traditional, yet less effective materials, and everything is devised as a weapon in the culture war against Hisperia, Italica, and Allemagne. Elise herself is the ultimate purveyor of fashion. Goods produced with her seal of approval are renowned throughout the world as the absolute pinnacle of quality. The secret to her marvelous output lies in a production process that is connected to the angels. The threads of her fabric are spun infinitely from a font of pure light by virgin girls. Purity of spirit is critical to the process, as impurities will break the thread and necessitate a slow regenerative ritual. Though the process sounds insidious, it is rather public and innocent. The girls are there of their own volition. In fact, it is considered a great honor to be chosen as a weaver. Most weavers are chosen as young as six or seven years old and are released from the task at twelve. Genevieve "The siege only lasted a month? Pathetic." The oldest daughter mirrors the oldest province: a foundation upon which all else relies. Genevieve was the home province of the first kings of Gallia over a thousand years ago. When the Luminans conquered Genevieve under Leon's great-grandfather, King Alexandre, it took years to breach their nigh-impregnable fortifications. In the years since, the ancient castles of Genevieve have served as stalwart testaments to the history of Gallia. While many cultures would allow old castles to fall into disrepair or keep them as secluded wonders to be marveled at by the select few, the ancient strongholds of Genevievian kings are still in use today. Foundations are constantly reinforced and redesigned, incorporating advances both foreign and domestic. Dukes, earls, and barons alike still inhabit structures that have been passed down for centuries. Every noble landowner seeks to strike a careful balance between ancient and powerful walls. To a Genevievian architect, it is a mark of dishonor if your building fails and must be rebuilt within your lifetime. It is only natural that rival architects often fund thorough inspections in efforts to dishonor their peers and thus relatively elevate themselves. However, once an architect has died, it becomes much more acceptable to renovate their creations. After all, time marches on and no building lasts forever, but those that last the longest, are the proudest achievements of the entire region. Altogether, these factors create a complex cycle of building and rebuilding that emphasizes stability above all else. When an architect dies, their apprentices might even try to stealthily reinforce their work in an effort to enhance their prestige. If an architect can claim that they trained under a renowned master, then they will be that much more likely to find opportunities for work themselves. Princess Genevieve was a much softer girl of eighteen when she was chosen for the province, but King Leon must have seen something hidden within her because it didn't take long for her to become the perfect representative of the architects. She looks no older than thirty now, but keeps her body in pristine condition, a mirror of the idea that her castle must stand strong for as long as humanly possible. Muscles that would be unseemly on other noblewomen are praiseworthy on her, a natural product of her daily toil to build and rebuild. Her mind is sharp and unburdened by human relationships, far preferring the perfect math of her work. She approaches every problem as an engineer might, a preference that prevents Genevieve from truly understanding the more human and unsolvable problems of governance. The political influence of the region has somewhat waned as a result, but the boom of architecture across the continent has thrust Genevieve into a position of unprecedented importance. Gallian garrisons across the east have been thoroughly dissatisfied with local fortifications and have requested Genevievian expertise. This poses a large opportunity for the region to prove itself a worthy contender to the elven architects that were once thought unassailable. Genevieve is more than ready to rise to the occasion and build titans that will make the angels weep. Joan "..." The youngest daughter of King Leon was born mere days before the arrival of the Eccles. As such, she was always treated as holy and representative of the union between the humans and angels. It was only logical that she was to become the patron princess of the province where the Eccles settled. The province underwent rapid changes, with the population either rapidly becoming devout worshipers of the angels or migrating to other regions or even other kingdoms. The province had been known for its fine cooking before their arrival, but that industry migrated to Lea, Lorraine, and Nadine. In its place rose a province with a single-minded devotion to religious studies and contemplation. Monasteries and religious schools sprung up across the province, an important destination for many academics across the land. In the entirety of the province, no man, woman, or child is more devout than Joan. With a body that has aged twenty years and a mind that has aged two hundred, Joan has never uttered a single word. She has sworn off all worldly pleasures, accepting only fresh vegetables and water for her meals. She wears the simplest of clothing and spends most of her time with angels. However, she is anything but a detached patron princess. Her written works are read by every single citizen of the province, and far more than half of Gallia in general. Her insights into the human condition are held in legendary regard among religious experts from other regions, both for her unique perspective and her unusual eloquence. Emulation of her has become a provincial pastime, with many citizens voluntarily spending the seventh month of the year living as she does and attempting to write as she does. The central idea is that a simpler existence will place you closer to the angels and allow you greater insights into your own existence. A large portion of her success can be attributed to the format that she uses. Her philosophical musings are intricate enough to be dissected for weeks on end, yet presented in a simple enough package that the average citizen can appreciate their value without any deeper understanding. She writes stories with simple language, yet interconnected metaphors that not only relate to one another within a given story, but also form threads in the larger web that is her body of work. Scholars have dedicated their entire lives to interpreting her work, many of which label themselves as "Disciples of Joan". Justine "Death is too good for you. You will become my student." Philosophers, law, justice, Lea's twin, celibate, transformation of evil into good, essentially tortures the worst criminals in the nation Lea "Eat the damn food and shut up." Farms, simple, honest, Justin's twin, no legendary start, obsessed with organization and efficiency of farming Lorraine "Gold hoarded is gold wasted." Gold, wealth, merchants, greed/generosity, competitive with Lea, people think of her as wasteful/greedy/selfish, maybe she is but she is also an incorruptible administrator Melanie "Harder! That might skewer a man, but we aren't training to kill men, are we?" Horse breeding, racing, jousting, competitive relationship with Victoria, married to man from Victoria Nadine "If it's not Gallian, it isn't fit for the dogs to drink." Wine, vineyard, closest relationship with Marie, intense national pride, has a series of public correspondences with her mother (not necessarily true to how they communicate in private) Noel "It's a pity you only see the cold exterior. I assure you that it's even colder inside." Winter, fur, ornate white clothing, giant snow festival, prefers solitude to family disappeared in the past, followed a white fox/spirit, returned Victoria "For my father and my sisters, for my knights and my angels, for Gallia!" From an early age, Victoria was obsessed with knights, chivalry, and the beauty of a battle well-fought. She spent much of her childhood sneaking away from her wardens to watch jousts and duels, a habit that only her son-less father seemed to condone, though he was forced to express his approval in secrecy. It was only natural for her to be chosen as the patron princess of the knightly realm. While every corner of Gallia produces knights of the highest caliber, Victoria is the holy land to which they are drawn. It is in Victoria that the knightly orders of Gallia are headquartered and it is in Victoria that they compete for the blessings of the Eccles. For many knights, the highlight of a pilgrimage is the opportunity to witness a performance of Victoria, Angelbane. The title was given to the young patron princess a century ago, on the day when the challenge of the angels was finally met. When the Eccles arrived in Gallia, their disdain for the human knights was made manifest in a standing challenge that any human who defeated an angel in a duel would receive the very physical blessings of the angels. Victoria trained for exactly a century, eager and excited at the opportunity, yet patient and disciplined enough to know that she would be ready no sooner. When the day finally arrived and she challenged the first angel she could find, the battle was a poor joke. The angel fell before her, bloody but alive, in less than a minute. Reevaluating her perspective on the angels and deciding that she wouldn't be happy until she had defeated a true angelic warrior, she elected to keep the duel a secret and seek out a stronger foe, much to the gratitude of the defeated angel, a mere diplomat that had shirked the combat training that was expected of him. Less than a week later, Victoria had issued a challenge to the greatest warrior of the angels, Omnia. News spread quickly and a massive crowd gathered to watch the performance. Nearly every angel in the world was present to observe and determine the worth of the Gallians. Clad in simple steel and wielding an unadorned sword, Victoria stood resolute before the heavenly whirlwind. For twelve hours, the angel did not relent and she did not tire. For the next twelve, she did not relent and the angel tired. Nearly a full day from when the duel began, Victoria's sword shattered and she drove the hilt into the face of the surprised angel, scarring him with what little jagged metal remained of the blade. Immediately admitting defeat, Omnia bowed and moved to grant her the blessings that she deserved, but she refused. An unnaturally long life was the most that she wished to receive from the angels. The duel had no greater meaning beyond the honor and pride of the Gallian knights. Thus began a long tradition and the momentous rise of the Gallian knights. A cadre of angels resides in Victoria, one with each of the six knightly orders. When a young knight believes that they have trained enough, they will challenge their order's angel. Those that are deemed worthy are granted an angelic lifespan. It is incredibly rare for a knight to defeat an angel in such a trial since they lack the century of experience that Victoria was given, so it is usually enough for an angel to be impressed by the performance of their adversary. In the very rare event that a knight does best an angel in such a duel, they are immediately elevated to the highest levels of prestige, where they train directly under Angelbane. Shortly after becoming Angelbane, Victoria married Sir Jacques, one of the most famous jousting champions of Melanie. While Sir Jacques was never regarded as the most technically-skilled rider in the region, he was always praised for his great passion, a trait that Victoria values before all else. While the marriage was obviously intended as a symbolic political gesture regarding the closeness of Victoria and Melanie, the decision to allow Victoria to choose her husband has yielded a genuinely affectionate relationship and several heirs. International Relations Allemagne Gallian opinion of Allemagne have shifted over the years from fear to disdain to comfortable rivalry. Prior to the arrival of the Eccles, Allemagnian invasion was a common cause for concern. The individual dukedoms would have been unable to resist a concerted invasion from the east, especially if they refused to put aside their pride and unite under the king. The arrival of the Eccles triggered a meteoric rise to power as Gallian military capabilities outpaced Allemagne's. While Allemagne focused on slowly converted their new conquests and avoiding unnecessary conflict, Gallia's armed forces grew exponentially stronger. Angelic blessings and advanced armor transformed each Gallian knight into an offensive and defensive powerhouse. While individual knights from the east might be able to stand up to Gallians in controlled duels, Gallian knights outnumbered their Allemagnian counterparts five to one. The massive Allemagnian advantage in foot soldiers would have meant little if it came to battlefield maneuvers since many of their guns were too inaccurate for hitting humans. The Allemagnian military was specialized in defeating much larger threats and posed little danger to Gallia, one of the two main reasons why Gallia looked down upon Allemagne. The other reason was that Gallia frowned upon the relative inaction of the Allemagnians when it came to assisting the Eccles in their reconquest of Uthman. Once Gallia settled into its new position of power, feelings of superiority slowly diminished from dangerous to competitive levels. This can partially be attributed to Allemagne's knightly orders catching up to those of Gallia. In particular, the Order of Eisen Donner managed to single-handedly end Gallian dominance at international tournaments. Leaders in both nations agreed that relations should be mended to prevent border struggles, so open communication between knightly orders was established in an effort to create a sense of camaraderie. Partially by luck and partially by design, the two superpowers have their sights set on very different targets in the east. The lack of competition allows for joint military operations between the two. Some years, Gallian knights will ride to assist in quashing rebels in Bohemia or rooting out pro-Romanar terrorists. In other years, Allemagnians will aid the Gallians in patrolling and hunting down orcs on the frontiers. Nowadays, hostility between the two regions has been funneled into the more productive culture war raging in Burgundy. Both regions are eager to assert dominance, but the ban on weapons has been highly effective at reducing deaths. Both countries agree that manpower reserves must be kept high for the future struggles against the beasts of the east. Hisperia Gallian ambitions for southward expansion have entirely dried up over the last few centuries. While the northern sections of Hisperia were once considered to be valuable potential targets, the Eccles have worked vigorously to dispel that notion. Hisperia has always been a dedicated ally of the Eccles and they were passed over as a potential settlement location not because they lacked faith, but because they were far too fractured to be unified even with the aid of the angels. The Eccles are also much more comfortable with an alliance of supporting regions rather than a single massive superpower. If they ever do need to violently separate themselves from their host country, it would be much easier if they had other supporters to fall back to. Pyrine The dwarves that occupy the territory between Gallia and Hisperia have been instrumental in minimizing border tensions and stimulating growth in both regions. Pyrine passageways through the mountains are wide, level, and heavily guarded, a trio of traits that make otherwise impossible trade very possible. For this, Gallia is willing to tolerate neighbors that do not worship the Eccles. Gallian regions bordering Pyrine tend to be on better terms with Pyrine than they are with some Gallian provinces to the north. However, that does not stop Gallians from attempting to convert them at every turn. Many Gallians choose to migrate and live among the Pyrine dwarves, some of which aim to proselytize and bring the light of the angels to the ancestor-worshiping dwarves. There is some contention over the issue, but the Pyrine dwarves have never been as devout as their brethren in Alb, so the resistance is generally mild. Italica Alb Burgundy Military Organizations Order of the Blazing Visage Generals and leaders, no military organization of their own, distributed throughout other armed units Order of the Bloodied Sword Extended melee combat Order of the Unbroken Lance Charging, frontal assaults Order of the Unfurled Wings The fastest, skirmishers Order of the Gleaming Dagger Precision tools used to tactical strikes Order of Victoria Victoria's personal students Institutions Demographics Creatures Misc * The Ecclesiasty is angelic, hierarchy of angels, less than 100 total * Angels are immortal but unable to reproduce, there were 1000 before Constantinople fell, now mostly work in the shadows * King welcomed papacy as a means of legitimizing his rule, was key in unifying the many warring regions of Gallia * Nobles compete to prove who is most pious, seek legitimacy and the concrete blessings of the angels * Not interested in the conquest of the rest of Europe, angels have completely directed the attention of the state towards orcs * 100 years ago, Gallia lanched a massive crusade against Uthman, was joined by Hisperia, Allemagne, Italica, and many other states (to a lesser extent) * They fought a bitter war for 10 years, which culminated in the angels unleashing a superweapon and forcing the orcs to retreat * Now Gallia is overseeing the eradication of Uthman culture and the return to human rule * Many young knights travel in bands across the sea to Uthman to prove their worth and kill orcs * Cavalry use spears of blazing light that are personally blessed by angels and can run through an orc as easily as butter * Elite infantry use maces, morning stars, swords, daggers, and crossbows, all manufactured by smiths that have been blessed by angels * Generally do not use firearms because the firing process erases the blessing * General infantry use similar weapons, along with pikes and polearms, but do not used blessed weapons * They can use firearms, but they don't have consistent access to anything more advanced than manual ignition hand cannons (often use shot) * The Gallian navy isn't particularly advanced, but is quite large and is mostly used to transport soldiers to Uthman * Very early cannons and elite marine force generally mean that Gallian ships try to close the distance and board enemy ships instead of shoot it out * Over half of the angels are currently recuperating/hibernating, which will take decades more * Many overexerted themselves in a ritual that unleashed a superweapon on Uthman * Hidden remnants of previous Celtic religion, stag headed people/god